Existentialism and Cultural Relativism

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Omega Vision
I've recently gotten into existentialist philosophy, namely that of Jean-Paul Sartre, but I'm a dilettante and I still don't grasp all of the concepts, particularly his view of morality. As I understand it its entirely subjective, but what I want to know is if Sartre's ethical philosophy might be in line with Cultural Relativism or if its focus on the individual would preclude that.

Digi
There's people on KMC who are intellectually versed enough to have a discussion on those topics individually, but you're likely speaking to too specific a niche in asking that question. It's doubtful that many of us have read the right group of books to be able to address the specifics of the topics and how they intersect.

I'm only passingly familiar with Sartre. Good luck.

Omega Vision
Originally posted by Digi
There's people on KMC who are intellectually versed enough to have a discussion on those topics individually, but you're likely speaking to too specific a niche in asking that question. It's doubtful that many of us have read the right group of books to be able to address the specifics of the topics and how they intersect.

I'm only passingly familiar with Sartre. Good luck.
I'm trying to read Being and Nothingness right now but its really dense and I have lots of assigned reading that makes sitting down and giving it the attention it demands impossible. big grin

King Kandy
Everything i've heard about existentialism seems fascinating, but I have yet to read any actual existential authors. Sorry but I can't really help.

Omega Vision
Originally posted by King Kandy
Everything i've heard about existentialism seems fascinating, but I have yet to read any actual existential authors. Sorry but I can't really help. Read Existentialism is a Humanism by Jean-Paul Sartre, it's fairly short and gives a good summary of the basic points of his theory.

Mindship
Originally posted by Omega Vision
I've recently gotten into existentialist philosophy, namely that of Jean-Paul Sartre, but I'm a dilettante and I still don't grasp all of the concepts, particularly his view of morality. As I understand it its entirely subjective, but what I want to know is if Sartre's ethical philosophy might be in line with Cultural Relativism or if its focus on the individual would preclude that. Interesting. I also don't know all that much about either, but what the hey...

As I understand it, Existentialism is about responsibility. We are responsible for our own personal existence -- indeed, for the universal human condition -- and this responsibility is manifested through our actions.

Cultural Relativism states we judge a person's actions in the context of their culture.

My first impression: CR is subsumed by E. Each has its place and function. One may be more practical in day-to-day life; while the other may allow a better understanding of the Big Picture, for long-term purposes. Put another way: the cultural 'sphere of influence' expands as we slide the Responsibility Indicator from a CR polarity to an E polarity.

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